Attention-based, multi-screen advertisement scheduling

Abstract

An advertisement system includes an advertising manager that receives a content-event indicator, which indicates playback of an advertisement for viewing on a first display screen at a media-playback device or indicates playback of recorded content that includes advertisements. The advertising manager can determine an optimal time offset as a duration of time before or after playback of an advertisement to the start of an event that is associated with the advertisement for viewing on a second display screen at a mobile device. For recorded content, an optimization schedule is determined that replaces and time-shifts advertisements during playback of the recorded content. The advertising manager can also determine a fulfillment criterion for a product or service based on latency constraints to indicate a duration of time within which fulfillment of the product or service is expected when offered as a second advertisement corresponding to a first advertisement.

We claim: 
     
       1. An advertisement system comprising:
 a mobile device; 
 a media playback device; 
 a processing system to implement an advertising manager that is configured to: 
 receive a content-event indicator that indicates playback of an advertisement for viewing on a first display screen at the media-playback device; 
 determine an optimal time offset from playback of the advertisement for viewing on the first display screen at the media-playback device to a start of an event that is associated with the advertisement; 
 initiate communication of an event notification to the mobile device to initiate the event for viewing at the optimal time offset on a second display screen at the mobile device; 
 initiate communication of fulfillment-response analytics back to a provider of a product or service; 
 wherein the advertising manager is configured to determine the optimal time offset based on viewer attention to television content that includes the advertisement; 
 wherein a level of the viewer attention includes: 1) social-media indicators; and 2) a low-interest moment in the television content on the media-playback device and likely viewer focus on the mobile device; 
 when the level of the viewer attention indicates the low-interest moment in the television content and the likely viewer focus on the second display screen at the mobile device, the advertising manager is configured to determine the optimal time offset; 
 when the level of the viewer attention is based on the social-media indicators, the advertising manager is configured to determine the optimal time offset; 
 when there are viewer preferences, the advertising manager is configured to determine the optimal time offset; 
 wherein the social-media indicators include tweets, likes, and check-ins, 
 wherein the advertising manager is configured to determine the optimal time offset within an advertiser-designated time duration between the advertisement playback on the first display screen at the media-playback device and the event for viewing on the second display screen at the mobile device; 
 wherein the event initiated for viewing on the second display screen at the mobile device is a coordinated-advertisement with the advertisement played back for viewing on the first display screen; and 
 wherein the fulfillment-response is received from the mobile device indicating a viewer input at the mobile device to redeem an offer of the product or the service in the coordinated-advertisement. 
 
     
     
       2. A method comprising:
 receiving a content-event indicator that indicates playback of an advertisement for viewing on a first display screen at a media-playback device; 
 determining an optimal time offset from playback of the advertisement for viewing on the first display screen at the media-playback device to a start of an event that is associated with the advertisement; 
 communicating an event notification to a mobile device to initiate the event for viewing at the optimal time offset on a second display screen at the mobile device; 
 receiving an advertiser-designated time duration between the advertisement playback on the first display screen at the media-playback device and the event for viewing on the second display screen at the mobile device; 
 determining the optimal time offset based on viewer attention to television content that includes the advertisement; 
 communicating fulfillment-response analytics back to a provider of a product or a service; 
 wherein a level of the viewer attention includes: 1) social-media indicators; and 2) a low-interest moment in the television content on the media-playback device and likely viewer focus on the mobile device; 
 when the level of the viewer attention indicates the low-interest moment in the television content and the likely viewer focus on the second display screen on the mobile device, the optimal time offset is determined; 
 when the level of the viewer attention is based on the social-media indicators, the optimal time offset is determined; 
 when viewer preferences exist, the optimal time offset is determined; 
 wherein the social-media indicators include tweets, likes, and check-ins; 
 wherein the optimal time offset is determined within the advertiser-designated time duration; 
 wherein the event for viewing on the second display screen at the mobile device is a coordinated-advertisement with the advertisement played back for viewing on the first display screen; and 
 wherein the fulfillment-response is received from the mobile device indicating a viewer input at the mobile device to redeem an offer of the product or the service in the coordinated-advertisement. 
 
     
     
       3. A method comprising:
 receiving a content-event indicator that indicates an advertisement will playback for viewing on a first display screen at a media-playback device; 
 determining an optimal time offset as a duration of time before the advertisement will playback for viewing on the first display screen at the media-playback device; 
 communicating an event notification to a mobile device to initiate an event that is associated with the advertisement for viewing at the optimal time offset on a second display screen at the mobile device; 
 receiving an advertiser-designated time duration between the advertisement playback on the first display screen at the media-playback device and the event for viewing on the second display screen at the mobile device; 
 determining the optimal time offset based on viewer attention to television content that includes the advertisement; 
 communicating of fulfillment-response analytics back to a provider of a product or a service; 
 wherein a level of the viewer attention includes: 1) social-media indicators; and 2) a low-interest moment in the television content on the media-playback device and likely viewer focus on the mobile device; 
 when the level of the viewer attention indicates the low-interest moment in the television content and the likely viewer focus on the second display screen of the mobile device, the optimal time offset is determined; 
 when the level of the viewer attention is based on the social-media indicators, the optimal time offset is determined; 
 when there are viewer preferences, the optimal time offset is determined; 
 wherein the social-media indicators include tweets, likes, and check-ins; 
 wherein the optimal time offset is determined within the advertiser-designated time duration; 
 wherein the event for viewing on the second display screen at the mobile device is a coordinated-advertisement with the advertisement played back for viewing on the first display screen; and 
 wherein the fulfillment-response is received from the mobile device indicating a viewer input at the mobile device to redeem an offer of the product or the service in the coordinated-advertisement.